Welcome to Hillside
by Bellatrix Kale
Summary: Same Neighborhood, New Problems! A new family has moved into the Falls' old home and Dean returns. Also some old faces appear.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my Chumscrubber fan fiction! I know a few of you may/may not have been waiting for this and I finally got some inspiration to start this today. It, most likely, will go slow in pace as I just started as of now and only have one chapter typed up because I'm nt writing it on paper. But here we go. Hope you like it.**

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Chapter 1

**-Izzy-**

"Elizabeth, will you please finish getting your boxes out of the van?" I heard my mother shout.

"Fine," I groaned, pulling my hair into a sloppy ponytail. I hated this. The move. The new neighborhood. Everything. And it had only been an hour. As I walked out the door to the big white U-haul truck parked in our new driveway, I saw my parents debating about where to keep Rascal, our dog. I just shook my head as I walked by them to the back of the truck. There were five boxes labeled 'Izzy'. "Oh joy..." I said with sarcastic enthusiasm. Reluctantly, I reached for one of the boxes and carried it through the front door into the new and exciting house. Not really. The house was big and spacious, even though there were only four of us. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, kitchen. The works really. My room was on the second floor, to the left of the stairs. As I walked in, I dropped the box next to the door with the others I brought up earlier.

After bringing the rest of the boxes up from the truck, I laid on the floor of my new room and stared at the ceiling. "This royally sucks," I said to myself. "Seriously, who the hell moves a kid when they're in senior year?" I rubbed at my eyes with a sigh before standing up. I was about to be going into 12th grade and was not going to enjoy the year as much as I always hoped I would. Final year before being able to go out in the world and I had to spend it with complete strangers. And to make it all better, school was scheduled to start in a week. With another sigh, I started down the stairs. Once I reached the bottom I heard a splash. "What the..." Walking into the bland, unfurnished kitchen I saw out the back slider door that my brother, Gabriel, had jumped into the pool. "Gabe! You're supposed to be unpacking," I yelled as I walked to the edge of the pool.

"Screw that!" he laughed as he climbed out from the opposite side and jumped in again. I just glared at him for a second before going back in the house. I even thought about joining him but I wasn't the rebel of the family. That was his place. Gabe was only 12 years old and already managed to get in trouble way too much. He even dressed the part, usually being found wearing dark grungy clothing and his beanie.

I on the other hand, I was the opposite. Not polar opposite but different. I was the one with passing grades, decent friends, and dressed normal. Maybe the fact that we're six years apart could be why. As I sat on the couch in our new living room, I thought about my birthday. In two months I'll be eight teen and shortly on my way out of this house by the time I'm graduating.

Boredom began to set in. There's no way my mother would get me to unpack my room at the current point in time and I surely wasn't going to go help my father arrange furniture so I bolted up to my room, grabbed my messenger bag lying on one of the boxes, and walked downstairs straight out the door. "Honey, would you mind-" I heard my mother start to say.

"No," I said gruffly as I wandered around the side of the garage and sat planted myself against the building in the grass. I kicked of my flip flops next to me and pulled out my notebook. Flipping to a blank page, I pulled the pencil out of the binding and began to doodle.

**-Dean-**

The drive hadn't been that long but Dean desperately wanted to stretch his legs. "Only five more minutes," he told himself with a sigh. It wasn't exactly his choice to return home but where else was there to go? _It's not like I could've went with Crystal,_ he thought. _New York is expensive and too much of a scenery change for me._ He sighed again as his thoughts returned to Crystal. It wasn't his choice for them to break up, but it seemed to be the right thing to do since she was about to move thousands of miles away. All because of the ex-mayor's art career demanded it.

Dean smirked. _His career took off because of dolphins._ He laughed about it briefly. _And because of Dad's stupid book. At least that's over with._ His father had written a book called The Happy Accident and started a tour of it when Dean left, but according to his mom and brother, it fell off shelves. On the other hand, his mom's vitamin line skyrocketed. She had a bigger family now, the "Veggie Force family", and devoted all her time out on the road with them. _One less thing to deal with while I'm here,_ Dean thought.

He pulled into the familiar cul-de-sac where his home was in Hillside, California and steered the car into the driveway. He put the car in park and opened the door, getting out of the car. Dean inhaled deeply as he looked around. Everything seemed to look the same since he left those distant six months ago. He looked to Crystal's house across the street and saw a moving van. _Except for that._ A new family was moving into Crystal's old house now, reminding him that she was gone. He told himself not to care, grabbing his backpack from the car, and walking up to the front door. Dean opened the door slowly. "Dad? Charlie?" he called, putting his bag down on the stairs.

"Dad's not home," he heard his younger brother, Charlie, say from the living room. He was sitting playing video games as he always did. "He's at the office."

"Alright," Dean said with a shake of the head. He turned around and picked up his bag before starting up the steps to his room. He stopped at the door, hesitating almost, as if opening the door would be a challenge. He furrowed his brow and fixed his bag, then opened the door. His room looked the same as it did before he left with Crystal: twin size bed with clean white linen sheets, bookshelf in proper place, pictures tacked to the wall above his desk, and stereo system above his bed on the window sill. Dean made a small smile and threw his bag on his bed. He heard a car pull up and moved out his window. His father's car pulled up behind his. He made a slight frown as his eyes were caught. A brunette girl sitting at the side of Crystal's old house seemed to be drawing. _Was this the new family?_ Dean wondered. _Maybe I'll ask Dad..._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter two is still introducing the characters a bit more. More details will come in the next chapter or two since I didn't fully describe Dean or Izzy yet. And the next chapter might jump forward to the first day of school (for Izzy). Read and review please!**

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Chapter 2

**-Dean-**

He backed away from the window as he heard the door shut downstairs. "Dean? Dean!" his father called. Dean made quick sigh and slid off his bed. He walked down the hallway, but didn't make it halfway down the stairs before his father nearly attacked him in a hug. "I'm glad you came home, son," his dad, Bill, said.

Dean made a grunt. "Uh huh." Once his dad pulled away, he noticed his father had a bit of grey hair protruding where his once light brown hair was. "Dad. I think you're gettin' old," Dean said brushing his own hai to the side, hinting about the grey.

Bill nodded as he pushed his glasses back. "I've noticed. Speaking of noticing, have you taken notice we have new neighbors?"

"Yeah, who are they?" Dean asked with a fevered curiousity.

"Well, maybe we should find out and go meet them. Charlie!" Bill called into the living room. "Let's go!"

Dean heard his younger brother mutter something under his breath as he stormed out to them. "What?"

Bill put a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "We're going to meet the new neighbors," he said as he began to lead him out the door. Dean heard Charlie say something under his breath and followed them out the door, closing it behind him. The three walked across to the opposite side of the cul-de-sac. As they approached the front door, they saw a dark raven haired man and woman with dirty blond hair standing by the garage. Bill was the first to talk. "Hello," he said kindly, "You must be the new neighbors."

The two turned around and smiled at them. "Yes we are. David Shaw," the man said as he shook Bill's hand. "This is my wife, Vanessa," he said motioning to the woman.

She also shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

As he was shaking her hand, Bill said, "I'm Bill Stiffle." The hand shake broke and he put his arm around Charlie, which Charlie obviously didn't like. "These are my sons, Charlie's the youngest and Dean." Dean nodded.

Vanessa smiled. "I think you two will get along nicely with our children. Where are the kids, David?"

David shook his head. "Unpacking probably. Elizabeth! Gabriel!" he shouted. The girl Dean saw outside earlier came from around the corner barefooted and a boy came out of the house, dripping wet. "Gabriel! We told you to unpack," David said sternly to the boy. Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Elizabeth," he said pointing to the girl. "And Gabriel," he said ruffling the boy's wet hair. "This is Dean and Charlie Stiffle, our new neighbors."

Gabriel look at Dean, then Charlie. "Hi," he mumbled. Elizabeth was standing with her arms crossed, scratching at her right arm, and looking at Dean curiously.

David put an arm around his wife's waist. "Why don't you come inside to chat Bill, while the kids get acquainted?" Bill nodded and the adults went inside. Charlie and Gabriel began to ramble about a video game or something and hurried into the house, leaving Dean with Elizabeth.

"So you're Elizabeth?..." Dean said with a nod. _Nice conversation starter,_ Dean sarcastically thought.

"Izzy," she protested.

"I'm Dean," he told her. She gave an uninterested nod and turned around, going back to the side of the garage.

**-Izzy-**

I sat down in the spot I was comfortably in until my parents called me. And to meet neighbors none the less. They were always so friendly to people, even strangers. Well that's what I get for having a doctor for a dad and a secretary for a mother. Picking up my book and pulling out the pencil, I saw a shadow behind me. "Can I help you?" I asked with a sigh. I turned and saw Dean, hovering over me.

"Not really. Just wanted to...talk. Get to know you," he made a half smile. "What're ya drawing?" he asked as he sat down next to me. Uninvited, might I add. I shrugged. I never knew what I was drawing. It was always just something that popped into my head. There was silence for a minute or two. "So...Are you gunna go to school here?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Sadly, yes," I sighed. "Last year though."

Dean smiled and laughed, "Good luck. I graduated last year and it was a year of hell."

"Heh. Well that's gunna be my year this year. All because my parents had to move."

"Why the move?" he prodded.

I looked over at him. "My dad's a doctor at the hospital. He wanted to move closer to work," I said as I rolled my eyes.

Dean gave a nod. "My dad's a doctor, too. Well...He's a psychologist."

I gave a starky laugh. "Must be great to have a psych as a dad."

"Definately," he said. His voice thick with sarcasm. I watched him from the corner of my eye. He pulled at the grass for a few seconds before standing up. "It was nice to meet you, Izzy. Maybe we could hang out sometime."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This jumps forward to the first day of school a week after the second chapter. This one's long and brings Billy into play. He has a POV so that will be the third and last person's perspective. (Izzy, Dean, and Billy are obviously our three mains.) So enjoy!**

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Chapter 3

**-Izzy-**

I am not ready for this at all. First day of school in an unfamiliar place. I made a sigh. Just what I always wanted. I smacked my alarm clock to turn it off. Mistake of the morning number one. When I hit the clock, it fell off the nightstand which required me to get out of bed to pick it up. It's gunna be a wonderful day. I laughed as I got out of bed and picked up the clock. With a yawn, I stretched and rubbed my eyes as I made my way to the dresser. I picked out something that seemed appropriate for the day: a pair of jeans, white t-shirt, green t-shirt, and undergarments of course. Knowing that if Gabe decided to go the first day, he'd be on is way to the shower. I ran out the door and got in first, only because my room was across the hall from it. I took a quick shower and got dressed, then I stared in the mirror. My hair was always just so...boring. For once, I actually took time and blow dried my hair. I simply let it down and shook it out, giving it the I-messed-up-my-hair-a-little-purposely look. I grabbed the brush and walked out, gently brushing my hair to make it look normal as I walked the short path back to my bedroom. I threw the brush on my bed and slipped my flip flops on as I eyed my phone. Maybe Alexis is up...

Alexis was my closest friend back at my old school, before the move. But I haven't heard a thing from her in almost two weeks. We hung out the weekend before the move at the mall with some friends but since then...nothing. I kinda figured I would have to start this school year alone. I gave in and sent her a plain old boring text that said good morning. She probably isn't even up yet. Alexis always waited until the last second to get up and get ready. I knew that because I always had to wait for her.

With a sigh, I turned my phone on vibrate and put it in my pocket. I grabbed my messenger bag from the door hook before turning around to grab my keys and money, then heading out the door. I saw Gabe rush towards the stairs and sprint down. "Gabe, you're actually going the first day?" I was shocked. He never seemed so eager to go to school. Especially the first day.

Gabe got to the bottom just as I started my way down. "Hell yes. Charlie said today's the best day for pranks," he said as if everyone in the world knew except for me.

I just nodded. "Need a ride?" I wasn't usually one to offer because he always just jumped in the back seat, but I figured since he actually wanted to go to school, I should try to be nice.

I watched him run into the kitchen and grab a candy bar from the front door. "Nope. Takin' the bus. Now move or I'll be late," he said pushing past me and opening the door. He ran out and joined Charlie at the end of the cul-de-sac.

I rolled my eyes. Kids. So eager to go to school. Even if it is just to play pranks. I walked to my car in the driveway and as I opened the door I heard someone call my name. I turned and saw Dean by what seemed to be his own car, giving me a wave. I waved back and threw my bag in the passenger side before shutting the door. I figured maybe I could keep my nice streak going and go say hi since I'm early. I couldn't help but wonder why he was up though. "Hey Dean," I said casually as I approached him. "I thought you said you graduated?"

He gave a nod. "Between my dad and Charlie this morning," he said shaking his head. "So today you have to go to the hell hole, huh?"

"Yep. And I get the feeling it's going to suck. Massively." Dean laughed and I pulled my phone out, glancing at the time. It was 7:30 and I had fifteen minutes to get there. And that's just to be on time. I groaned. "Gotta go. Hell hole awaits," I said, starting to walk backwards to my car.

"See ya," he said with a slight smile before getting into his car. I jogged over and got into my own car, putting the keys in the ignition, and starting it. I, most likely, would be late the first day of school. Great. Mistake number two here I come.

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I walked into the school. I actually managed to make it on time. Parking was easy and the traffic to get here wasn't bad since it was only ten minutes away from my house. Students lingered the hallway either catch up or meeting new people from the looks of it. I didn't exactly want to do that so I made my way to the homeroom on the paper I held. Thank god my parents asked for a schedule last week when they enrolled me because the office looked busy. I finally spotted the room number that matched my paper. Number 16. As I walked in, I noticed a handful of people in here already. With my nerves abundled, I walked back to a desk in the rear right corner of the room where there were less people and sat down. A girl with blonde hair in the seat diagonal to mine turned and faced me. "Hi," she said.

"Um. Hi," I replied uneasily.

She smiled and moved back a seat so she was sitting next to me. "Are you new?" she asked. "You look new."

I nodded. "Yeah. Was it obvious?"

"Not entirely. But I'm new too," she admitted cheerfully as she brushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear. She held out her hand. "I'm Holly. Holly Klein."

Wow. A handshaker. "I'm Izzy Shaw," I said, shaking her hand once.

She looked at me with shock. "Izzy. Nickname or real name?"

"Nickname. Real name's Elizabeth, but I don't like it. Sounds too fancy or whatever."

Holly nodded, took her phone out from the pocket of her jeans, and started texting as a bell rang. The beginning of a lovely friendship...maybe.

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The bell rang and everyone flocked out of the classroom. I was one of the last ones out, remembering it was lunch. I saw a few kids go outside and the rest moving towards the cafeteria. I stopped at my locker, which was on the way, so I could drop off the text book from math. I managed to survive the first four classes without problem. Some teachers even agreed to call me by Izzy. I felt my phone go off in my pocket and since I knew that the hall was empty, I pulled it out as I shut my locker. It was a text message from Holly that read: **Where r u? Outside table by door. :] **She had already texted me two other times during last period. One mentioning some cute guy and another mentioning about lunch. I flipped my phone shut and walked down the hallway, out the door.

Holly waved and yelled "Izzy!" once she got sight of me. "Over here." She was sitting at a rectangular table with a guy.

I walked over to them and sat down across from them. "Hi. Who's this?" I asked Holly. She was the outgoing type, I assumed.

He looked at me and gave a wave. "Thomas Myers. You're Izzy?"

I nodded as I placed my bag on the seat next to mine. The table fit maybe eight but only the three of us were here. Holly looked at me and stated, "He's new too." Then she looked away, her attention going to something else.

Thomas laughed. "We new kids gotta stick together, right?" he joked as he ran a hand through his black shaggy hair. I smirked and turned to see what Holly was looking at. It was a guy with his back to us in the lunch line.

I looked at Holly again and she said in a whisper to me, "That's the guy I told you about. His name's Billy."

Thomas overheard us and asked, "You mean that guy in our science class with the eyepatch?" I didn't see an eyepatch until I looked again. He was facing our table, holding a soda. Low and behold, he was wearing a patch over his left eye. I also took notice that he was kinda cute looking. I heard Thomas groan and looked at him. He looked jealous of the attention we were giving to Billy. "Will one of you just talk to him already?"

"Nah," I said as I turned and dug around in my bag for a pencil.

Holly stayed silent. "Hey. Billy, is it?" he called to Billy. I saw from the corner of my eye Holly shoot him a what-are-you-doing look. I looked over my shoulder and saw the Billy guy standing at the end of the table, right next to Holly and I.

"Um...yeah?" he said quietly.

"I'm Thomas. From third period. Do you wanna sit with us?" Billy was quiet, almost thinking about it before he nodded.

**-Billy-**

Billy moved around the table and sat down on the seat next to the brunette girl's bag. "Sorry," she mumbled as she moved her bag to the ground. "You can sit there." She looked back at the notebook she had on the table and started drawing something.

He moved over a seat with a small smile, knowing someone wasn't pushing him away or scared of him for a change. _'It still feels like everyone's looking at me. Hopefully, no one notices me.'_ "And you're...Holly?" he said looking at the blond girl. She nodded quickly. _'She was talkative in class. Why not now?'_ He turned to the girl aside of him, who was engulfed in drawing.

She looked up, noticing he was staring at her. "Izzy," she said, not taking her eyes off the paper.

"What are you drawing Izzy?" he asked, slightly curious to what was so interesting while Thomas and Holly started talking about houses or something.

Izzy pushed the notebook over to him. A set of eyes were on the paper. "Just...whatever's in my head," she said with a slight grin.

Billy gave a nod. "It's uh...nice. Are you an artist?" he asked.

She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I'd like to be but I dunno..." she trailed off.

He gave a nod. "You should." He opened his soda and took a sip before sliding the notebook back to her. Twenty more minutes flew by quickly as the table stayed silent except for the short conversation between Thomas and Holly. Then the bell rang and the Billy darted off to his next class.

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**A/N: That button right below here...Yep, you know what to do. :] Please & Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**-Dean-**

Dean walked outside and looked at his watch. _'Three o'clock. She outta be about home soon.'_ Just as he thought, he saw the silver car pull into the neighbor's driveway. He fixed his hair, pushing it down, and trying to make it look somewhat normal. Dean saw Izzy step out of the car and he gave her a wave. She smiled and shut the car door before walking towards him.

"Hey Dean," she said.

"How was the first day at the hell hole?" he joked, looking up towards her.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Terrible. I made friends with a chick named Holly and two guys. Worst day ever," she said with a smirk.

"I told you. It's a horrible place. But anyways...I was uh, wonderin' if you wanted to hang out? Show you around town or somethin'."

She eyed him with a blank face. "Sure," she shrugged. "I kinda wanted to explore the town a bit. Lemme just go grab my bag." Dean nodded and watched her go back to her car and pull a bag out of the trunk. She returned, with the bag slung over on her shoulder. Izzy pointed to the car. "This yours?" she asked. Dean nodded. "Cars without roofs are best," she told him as she jumped over the door and into the seat. He simply gave his head a shake and opened the driver's side door, getting in and starting the car.

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**-Izzy-**

So I thought this would be another mistake, but thankfully it's not. Dean and I wandering around the neighborhood in his dark green Saab wasn't half bad…Until he mentioned the mall. "Do you wanna go to the mall?" he asked as he steered the car towards the mall parking lot.

"Um…I guess?" I said with hesitation. It's a mall. Why not go? We got out of the car and walked in through the main door. Dean had his hands in his pockets and I held my bag tightly against my shoulder. We walked for a while until he pointed to some stairs. We walked up them, having a small conversation about how we agree on our parents being crazy. When we reached the top I realized the second floor was a food court with various vendors across the walls. I hadn't eaten lunch so my eyes went wide with hunger.

Dean looked at me and asked, "Get some food?" I gave an enthusiastic nod. I hadn't realized I was so hungry until I saw food. We went over to the small Chinese place and got two orders of sesame chicken with white rice, a bottle of water for Dean, and a slushy for me. What compelled me to order a slushy was beyond me. They gave us our order almost instantly and Dean led me to a table by an optometrist, which made me wonder why there was an optometrist in a mall. Hunger pushed the question aside and I sat down across from Dean, stabbing a piece of chicken with a single chopstick. He looked at me curiously as he held his chopsticks in his hand.

I shoved the piece in my mouth. "What?" I asked with my mouth full. "I'm hungry." I chewed on it and swallowed it down as I dug through my bag, which was on the floor next to my chair, for my cash. I managed to find it among my notebooks and pencil near the bottom of the bag. I put a ten dollar bill on the table and pushed it towards him. "Here."

"What's this for?" he asked, with a mouthful of rice.

He washed it down with a sip of water as I said, "It's for lunch."

Dean shook his head. "Consider this a welcome present," he said, pushing the money back to me. I picked it up and returned it to my bag with a shrug. I wasn't going to fight with him if he wanted to pay for my lunch.

When I looked up, I caught sight of a blond girl rushing towards the table with multiple bags in hand. "Oh my god, Izzy?" she shouted as she came closer. I let my head drop down. Go figure, I would run into someone from school. I glanced at Dean, who was eating and looking at Holly curiously.

I looked up at her and gave a fake smile. "Hey Holly." I really didn't want to deal with anyone right now. I just wanted to eat, but I guess that plan is long gone. Thank you, Holly.

She waved with her fingers, as her hands were carrying little shopping bags. "What's going on?" she asked, eyeing up Dean as if he was a piece of meat. I raised an eyebrow at her as I watched her do this. I rolled my eyes before she turned back to me and asked, "Who's this?" in an interested tone.

I sighed and picked up my chopsticks again. "This is Dean. Dean, Holly." Dean gave her a nod and brief hello and went back to eating, obviously not interested in Holly.

She smiled at me and winked. "I'll let you two be then. Call me later," she said before scurrying off and down the stairs.

I sighed again and said, "Sorry. She's from school."

He shook his head. "It's fine. Just a little hyper it seems."

I tilted my head and a chuckle. "That's Holly." I sat there and continued to eat, not saying a word until my plate was empty. Dean finished a little before me and was leaning back in his chair. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and told him I was done. He gave a nod of approval and we got rid of the trash. I kept the slushy and we wandered around the mall for sometime. After a while, I looked at my phone. It was nearing five o'clock now. "Damn, I should get home. Parents might wonder where I am," I said as I put my phone away.

"Okay. Sounds good," Dean said as we made our way back to the main door and out to the parking lot. The two of us got in the car and he drove back home. Instead of pulling into his driveway, he pulled in front of my house. "I had fun today," he said as I got out of the car.

I gave a nod and slung my bag over my shoulder. "Yeah, thanks. See ya around I guess." I gave him a wave and walked backwards a bit to the front door. Once I turned around and walked the rest of the way, I saw over my shoulder he was pulling into his driveway. I had a small smile on my face as I opened the front door and found my mother standing there, arms crossed and an upset look on her face. "Hey," I said casually.

"Where have you been?" she asked as I walked past her and set a foot on the bottom step.

I walked up a few more steps before turning around and saying, "I was at the mall with Dean, mom." I saw her smile at this. "Next time I'll call you, I know the drill."

I rolled my eyes and started up the rest of the way. I heard her say, "Dean's such a nice boy, Elizabeth. I trust you." I gave a snort as I turned the corner and walked into my room. My mother, the optimist, probably thinks there's something going on between us. I shook my head and laughed as I tossed my bag on the floor by my dresser. Right, as if that would ever happen.

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**A/N: I've gotten the motovation to write the chapter so I'm taking it off hiatus. Updates will be slow and few but be patient and you'll see them. Review make me write!  
Read, review, and enjoy!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is a wee bit later than I anticipated... Anyhoo. Just filler right now until I get moving along. I'll be recieving my Chumscrubber movie soon. (Gotta waituntil my bday.) Hope to get another chapter done soon.  
Lemme know what you think because my hopes are low for this ficcy.**

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Chapter 5

**-Izzy-**

A week went past and things became routine for me. Wake up, get a shower, hurry to school, then come home and sit by the garage to draw or do homework. It began to annoy me. So I took matters into my own hands. I decided I would ask Dean to hang out again.

I woke up, the usual routine still in place, until it was time for me to get dressed. Instead of jeans and a t-shirt, I picked out a grey tank top and a long green ruffled skirt. I even put a little bit of make up on. Some green eye shadow never did any harm. I smirked as I pulled on my pair of black low top converse. After putting my shoes on, I went over to the window and peered out. Dean's car was in the driveway so I hoped to hell he was home. I made my way down the steps and Gabriel ran past me. I groaned and said, "Thanks bro."

I made my way down the steps the rest of the way and walked into the kitchen. My parents were sitting at the table, my dad reading the newspaper and my mother doing some sort of paper work. "Good morning honey," he said, looking up from his newspaper. I glanced over at him and rolled my eyes. It was normal to see them doing work related things at the breakfast table.

"Elizabeth, what're you doing today?" Mom asked while glancing sideways at me. I shrugged as I opened the cabinet and pulled out a pack of poptarts. She must've looked at me a second time because she said, "You're all dressed up. Are you going out to meet some friends?"

I turned to face her and nodded with a bored look. "I'm gunna go over to the Stiffle's and see if Dean's home." I ripped open the package to the poptarts and broke off a piece.

While stuffing it in my mouth, my mom said, "Isn't that wonderful, Dave? She's made a friend already." The happiness in her voice almost sounded sarcastic but I knew she was really happy about it.

My dad made a sound of approval and continued to read his paper. "Well at least he's a nice young man from a good family." I rolled my eyes and groaned as I walked out of the room at a fast paced. I did not need to hear a speech for the twenty thousandth time about trust and guys. Had that talk when I was like thirteen from my mom.

I made my way back upstairs and past Gabriel once again. "Move," he demanded as he stormed past me.

"Jeeze, what's your problem?" I asked.

"Gotta go meet Charlie," he told her as he dashed out the door.

I just watched the door close with wonder from the top step. "Okay?" I turned and went back into my room. When I walked past my dresser, I noticed my phone said 'One Missed Alert.' I picked up my phone as I made my way over to the window. Opening my phone, I saw a text message from Holly. **What r u up 2? We should hang out! **I stared at the screen with slight disgust. Who uses a smiley after every freaking text message? I couldn't figure out who, so I shut my phone with a shrug. I glanced out the window and saw Dean walking across the cul-de-sac and seemingly near my house. I hesitated for a moment before shouting out the window. "Dean?" I called. He stopped in the middle of the cul-de-sac and looked up towards my window. There was a small smile on his face. "What are you doing?" I asked loudly.

"Your brother mentioned you wanted to talk to me about something," he shouted. I frowned. Gabe had listened in on what mom and dad said obviously, and jumped to conclusions. Perfect.

"I'll be right down," I told him with a groan. I turned and hurried out of my room, hoping Gabriel didn't say anything too weird to him.

**-Dean-**

He walked up the path to her house as the door opened. Izzy stood there looking nervous and really unsure about something. "What exactly did Gabe say?" she asked.

Dean put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Said you wanted to tell me something." She let out a laugh and shook her head. "What?" Dean asked.

Izzy waved her hand and opened the door wider, welcoming him in. "Nothing. I was just gunna come over and see if you were doing anything today."

He had a small look of awe. "Oh yeah, I'm not doing anything. Kinda bored myself actually," he told her very matter of factly as he walked into the house. Dean glanced around and nodded. "Nice place."

"Thanks," Izzy said. She shut the door and leaned against the door.

Dean looked her up and down. He shot her a curious look and said, "You look different."

She shrugged and tilted her head. "A little makeup and a change of clothes can do that," she said with a laugh.

"Dean," a voice said from behind him. "Nice to see you again!" It was Izzy's dad, David. He was smiling and dressed as if he was ready to go to work.

Dean sent him a half smile. "Nice to see you too, Mr. Shaw," he said. _'Parents.'_ Dean glanced at Izzy, who shrugged.

"Please. Call me David," he told Dean as he patted him on the back. Dean gave him an unsure smile and nodded. "What are you kids up to?"

He glanced to Izzy again. They exchanged confused looks until she said, "We're going to wander around the town."

Mr. Shaw gave a curious look with a nod. "Have fun then," he said before picking up a file folder from the coffee table and walking out the front door.

Izzy let out a breath and said, "Sorry."

Dean shook his head. "My dad's the same way."

She nodded and tapped her foot. "So we're wandering the town?" Izzy asked.

Dean shrugged. "If you want to. I just need to grab something at my house quick." She nodded and opened the door. Dean followed her out and pulled the door shut behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Kinda short but watching Chumscrubber last night brought my muse back. Next one should be a bit more interesting and such. Oh and Lukas, yeah he's an OC I made up to be Billy's parole officer. We might hear more from him next chapter. Enjoy.**

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Chapter 6

**-Billy-**

He knew today wasn't going to be such a good day, but when his parole officer told him he had to apologize to Dean Stiffle, he knew the day would be worse. "A-Are you sure?" Billy asked nervously.

"Yes," his officer, Lukas, said. "You'll feel better if you do."

Billy always listened to Lukas, but for once, he wished he could go back to his old ways and just blow this apology off. He sighed and said, "Fine." Billy shoved his hands into his pockets and walked to the front door.

-----

The walk to Dean's house wasn't too far from the place he was staying at with his parole officer. Billy kept his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground as he walked. Looking up, he saw the cul-de-sac and sighed. "I'm so not ready for this," he mumbled to himself. He began to walk towards the sidewalk when he caught sight of someone leaving their house in the corner of his eye. Billy stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed it was Dean. _'That's not his house… Is it?'_ Billy also noticed a girl. She looked like Izzy from school. His face dropped. _'I can't do this.'_ He turned on his heel and began back towards Lukas's place.

**-Dean-**

They walked across the lawn towards his house, quiet and not making any conversation. Once Dean stepped foot on the low front step, he opened the door and motioned for Izzy to go in. She walked in, looking around as if assessing the place. "Nice place," Izzy said, walking towards the sofa.

Dean nodded. "Yeah. I'm just going to grab something so just uh, make yourself at home," he smiled as he walked into his dad's study. Looking over the bookcases, he made his way over to the antique wooden desk. Dean pulled open a drawer and pulled out a small metallic ring with 2 keys on it. _'Need these.'_ He no longer had a set of house keys. He gave his pair up before he left. _'With Crystal,'_ he thought as he dangled the keys in front of his face. Suddenly, Dean thought he heard music playing. He walked out of the study and stood by the stairs as he pocketed the keys, hearing music being played. _'Upstairs?'_ He walked up the steps and saw his room door was open ajar. With a confused look, Dean slowly went into his room. He found Izzy dancing in place to Rooney's "Sleep Song", which played over his stereo system.

She noticed he was watching her and said, "I like this song."

Dean's expression turned blank. _'It has too many memories attached to it…_' He faked a smile and said, "It's alright." It took everything in him to hold back the few tears that stung at his eyes. Dean began to think of Troy, Crystal, and everything that happened in the past 6 or so odd months.

He pressed his lips into a thin line and Izzy said, "You don't look so good Dean…" She stopped dancing as the song ended, going into the album's next track. Izzy took a step towards him and he shook his head, signaling he was okay. Dean sat down on the end of his bed and sighed.

**-Izzy-**

It was hard for me to tell if Dean was going to be okay. One minute he had a smile, the next a harsh frown. I sat down next to him and leaned forward, trying to catch his glance. "Dean?" He looked up at me and I bit the corner of my lip. He was a nice guy, what could be so wrong with him? "Seriously, you don't look okay."

He shook his head. "I'm okay," Dean said as he looked me in the eye and smiled. "See?"

I narrowed my eyes. I'll let him hide it this once, but only once. "O-kay then."

His eyes seemed to try and search mine for something I noticed. I quickly looked at the ground as I heard him say, "Your eyes are such a nice shade of green."

Swiftly, I looked over at him with a confused look. "Are you…hitting on me?" It came out in a meaner tone than it sounded in my head.

Dean just smiled at me and said, "So would you still like to wander? If you don't want to we could just…hang out here."

I could tell he was definitely hitting on me before from that line. "Hm. Sure, let's hang out here." My curiosity forced me to say that. I want to know a little more about this guy since he's trying so hard.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I've been typing my fingers off for this story. Everytime I watch the movies I get motivated to work on it so I've been watching the movie once a week. (Scary, huh?) Yeah... Anyways, next chapter is planned and I just have to type it. Should be out soon.**

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Chapter 7

**-Izzy-**

I followed Dean down the stairs into the living room. He walked into the attached kitchen I saw from the corner of my eye as I moved towards the sofa. It was a bland color of beige with stripes. I gave a simple shrug before sitting down and smoothing out my skirt. My eyes glanced around. A few pieces of art hanging on the walls and the coffee table had only a video game controller and a remote on it. Wow. Talk about boring. How can Dean live here?

"D'you want something to drink?" I heard Dean ask.

I looked over my shoulder and said, "Sure." As I turned back, he walked over to my side and held out a glass of something. I took it and eyed the liquid in the cup. "What is it?"

Dean sat down with a cup that looked the same as the one he gave me. "Just water. No soda or anything in the house right now. My dad's been slacking it seems."

We laughed at this and I took a drink of the water. It was obviously bottled water, tasting so clean and cold. After the laughing died out, we sat in silence for a few minutes. It was pretty obvious he wasn't sure what to say. On account of his comments earlier, neither did I. I nodded my head a bit and said, "So..."

"So," Dean responded with a raise of his eyebrows.

I sat the cup down and finally asked the question that was burning in the back of my mind. "What's your story?"

His eyes shot towards me with a hint of nervousness. "What do you mean?"

The tone of voice he used got me thinking. It almost sounds as if he's hiding something. Could he be? "You know... Like why you're still here. You graduated. Wouldn't you wanna leave this place?"

He frowned and said, "I did."

Silence again for a few moments. "Technically you're here so?..."

I heard a small sigh as he said, "I left but I came back since I didn't know where else to go. Is that reason enough?"

Furrowing my brow, I said, "Where were you?"

"You ask a lot of questions," Dean said before taking a swig of his drink.

"Well, I like to get to know the people I hang out with. Don't wanna be strangers, ya know?"

"Alright," he said, "tell me something about you then. What's your story?"

It took me a few minutes to think about what I could tell him. He knew why I moved so my choices were pretty bland. I cleared my throat and shrugged. "Dunno." I paused for a few seconds more to think. Then it came to me. "I used to dance, but about 3 years ago I stopped. I just…got bored with it. Started skipping classes and hiding out after school in the art room. That's when I got into drawing. My parents don't think you can make a decent living as an artist though."

Dean's expression was calm and tentative as I spoke. "What do they want you to do?"

I rolled my eyes. "Something medical, like my dad. My mom doesn't want me to get near a job like hers."

"And what's her job?"

I was nearly amazed how much Dean actually cared about the conversation. "She's a secretary for a law firm. Works weird hours, but hey," I shrugged again, "it's her life." Dean nodded carefully and I heard the sound of a door opening.

**-Dean-**

Izzy just finished telling Dean about her parents when he heard the door open. _'That's either Charlie or…' _

"Dean? Who's…? Oh, Elizabeth. What a nice surprise," Bill Stiffle said.

Dean turned around and behind him Izzy said, "Hi Mr. Stiffle." She sounded a little nervous. _'Maybe she doesn't fair well around parents…'_

"What are you kids up to?" Bill asked. He had his arms full with two brown bags of, what looked to be, groceries.

Dean went to respond, but Izzy spoke first. "We were just about to go to the library. See ya around, Mr. Stiffle," she said as she got up and pulled Dean by the wrist out of the house.

He looked at her curiously. "We're going to the library now?" Dean asked.

Izzy shuffled her feet and smiled. "I don't even know where it is. No, we're going over to my house. My parents should've gone to work by now." She started down the driveway and Dean followed with his hands in his pockets.

As the two walked, Dean's thoughts were running amuck. _'Alone at her house. Maybe she could like me? Did that comment earlier about her eyes have anything to do with that?'_

She interrupted his thoughts when she said, "I really don't like being around parents. They're so controlling sometimes."

Dean nodded in agreement. _'That's the same reason why I left._' Izzy opened the door and they walked in.

"Oh and if Gabe's home, just punt him out of your way," she said in an annoyed tone.

"Isn't Gabriel your brother?"

"Yeah, but he gets on my nerves," she trailed off. Jus then, they both heard the sound of a big splash. "Jeeze… Here we go again." Dean stayed planted in his spot near the door while he watched Izzy walk back to the back door. She slid it open and shouted, "Gabe! Mom said you're not supposed to swim-"

A second splash drowned out her voice and she huffed. Dean thought he caught sight of his own brother, Charlie, in the pool. "Is that Charlie?" he asked.

Izzy slid the door shut quickly and a spray of water cascaded over the glass. She mumbled something under her breath and walked back over to Dean. "Our brothers are hanging out it seems," she said with a fake smile.

Dean shook his head. "They probably get into trouble together too much now," he joked.

"Probably. Let's go up stairs in case the Gabe-monster comes back in," Izzy suggested as she began towards the stairs. Dean's face turned blank and he swallowed a forming lump in his throat as he followed her up the stairs.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Love this chappie. It has insight on Billy a little more. He'll be important prolly in the next chapter or two. And the idea about the water balloons just cracked me up so Ihad to add it. XD Please review!**

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Chapter 8

**-Billy-**

He walked into the house and shut the door as quietly as he could. "You home?" Lukas' voice rang through the hallway. Billy sighed and walked through the hallway into the kitchen. He found Lukas making what looked to be a sandwich. "How'd it go?"

He shook his head. "I didn't do it. I just…couldn't."

Lukas sighed. "Look Billy, if you don't apologize I'm told I have to restrict you from doing things. But if you do it, they told me I'm allowed to let you do more."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I'll do it tomorrow," he said as he walked into the living room.

Lukas held up his sandwich and said, "Now that's some motivation." Billy just smiled at him. "Well I'm off. Be back in a few hours," he said as he walked down the hallway.

Billy let out a deep breath and said, "Yeah…"

**-Izzy-**

I walked into my room and made my way over to the window, peering out in a small act of boredom. Or maybe it was OCD since I did it every time I came into my room. When I turned around, I saw Dean standing in the doorway. He looked very hesitant. A funny thought came to mind. "Are you gunna come in? Or do I have to invite you in?" I joked. Dean made a small smile and nodded his head from side to side as he walked into my room, shutting the door behind him. "Not a vampire are you?" I asked in a serious tone. Any genius would know I was joking though.

"What?" he asked. Stopping dead in his tracks and looking at me like I was crazy.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Never mind. I just read a lot." I stressed the word a lot because it was true. I read ALL the time. It got me away from my parents and brother even if for a few minutes.

I caught sight of Dean looking around the room. "It's a uh, nice room you got." He sat at the edge of my bed, which was a bit of a tizzy at the moment. I snuck over and adjusted the top sheet while he looked at a picture hanging on the wall. I had just finished smoothing it out when he turned and looked at me.

I shot him an innocent smile and waved at him. I knew he probably thought I was the dorkiest person in the world, and quite frankly; I didn't care. I hopped up onto the bed carefully while holding down my skirt, which made me remember why I didn't like wearing them all too often. Dean scooted back a little bit and leaned on his elbows. "So what are we going to do?" I asked, falling back into a crossed legged sitting position aside of him.

He shrugged and said, "Dunno." He said more than that, but it was all I caught. Somehow I found myself staring at his eyes. His perfectly round swimming pool blue eyes. "Izzy?" he said, breaking me from the trance.

I cursed at myself mentally as I said, "Yeah?"

"Did you um…hear my question?"

I laughed nervously and said, "Yeah. Of course I did."

"And your answer?"

Crap. This put me between a rock and a brick wall while dangling over a spike pit of death. I'm doomed. What was the question? I hadn't even heard it. Curse his eyes! "Um…" I went for the obvious approach and said, "Sure?"

Dean made a smile before pressing his lips into a thin line. "You're sure?"

Seriously, what was the question?! "I said, yes didn't I?" He rolled his eyes before shifting himself up farther on his elbows, then leaning towards me and planting a kiss. On the lips. He pulled away in seconds and looked at the carpeting. That's what I said yes to? I am so lost…

**-Dean-**

When he pulled away, he wasn't sure what would happen next. _'Will she throw me out? She did say yes but…'_ Dean looked over his shoulder at her and she was looking out the window, jaw hanging slightly agape and shutting as if she lost her speech. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should've never asked." Dean was embarrassed to the bone. _'Maybe I should just go…' _"Should I leave?" he asked.

Izzy turned towards him with a shocked expression. "Jeeze…no. Just because of a kiss? What do you think I'll throw you out if you don't leave?"

Dean laughed. "Jus' little bit." He sat completely up and tapped his feet. Behind him, the bed shifted and he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Dean," Izzy began as she sat next to him, "I've only been here a week. Barely put a toe in the water, you know?" He hand fell from his shoulder in time and into her lap. "I need time before I decide I wanna be in a relationship." Her voice was soft as she spoke, gentle and letting him down easy.

_'I shouldn't rush things. It's only been a few weeks since Crystal and I broke up... God, where is your head?'_ He gave a nod to signal he understood.

"But…"

"But what?" Dean was interested in this phrase. _'It could mean something.'_

"But, we're staying friends until then." He nodded again. "And that was a good kiss," she said in a low voice. "Another is only fair."

Dean smiled. _'Doesn't want a relationship but she'll kiss me? Huh…'_ "Point taken," he said as he leaned towards her.

Just as they were about to kiss, the door burst open and there was a loud roar. Dean whipped his head towards the door, only to find he was being pummeled by water balloons. Izzy screamed and said, "Gabriel! You are so dead!" The two boys scampered away, presumably to hide from Izzy's wrath. Dean wiped his face with his sleeve. "Sorry," he heard Izzy say.

He turned and saw Izzy was drenched; they obviously aimed mostly for her. "It's fine. Charlie does stuff like this at our house once in a great while." Dean stood up, watching Izzy bounce around her room as she shook her hair. He laughed at this and pulled his grey long sleeved button down off. He tossed it to Izzy and said, "Dry off with this."

She shot him a knowing smile and caught it. "Thanks." Izzy wiped her face with it quickly, holding it above her chin.

They looked at each other for a few minutes. Dean cleared his throat and said, "So I'm gunna leave. Just uh, get that back to me in the future. You dry off and stuff." He smiled at her before walking out of the room. Dean put his hands in his pockets and felt they were damp. He stopped on the steps and noticed his jeans in general were almost covered in water. He let out a groan and hurried down the last few steps and left the house.


End file.
